Higher Education Committee Testimony (2.16.23)
Remarks (as prepared for delivery) to the HEAA Committee:
Chairs Slap and Haddad, Ranking Members Kelly and Haines, Members of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee:
My name is John Board, a graduate of the Connecticut State Colleges and University (CSCU) system and a former member of the Student Advisory Committee of the Board of Regents. I am here today to testify in favor of Senate Bill 741: An Act Concerning the Postsecondary Education Outcomes for Students with Disabilities and House Bill 5738: An Act Concerning Student Representation on the Board of Regents for Higher Education (and the companion bill House Bill 6355).
I want to first thank Senators Winfield and Marx for recognizing the importance of ensuring funding for students with disabilities and sponsoring this important piece of legislation. In addition, I want to thank Representative Oritiz of Colorado - who has been a friend and continued partner in ensuring that we continue to bring disability issues to the forefront of public policy discussions.
Currently, Connecticut does not have holistic statewide data to examine the postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities, and the lack of information prevents Connecticut from connecting students with disabilities to the workforce. Therefore, in order to meet the economic demands it is essential to collect this data and examine the postsecondary services, supports, and accommodations necessary for students with disabilities to improve postsecondary education and career outcomes and identify appropriation opportunities.
This bill also creates a seventeen-member Post-Secondary Advisory Committee (PSAC) to make recommendations on five (5) major issues to institutions of higher education, the general assembly, and additional bodies that the PSAC would deem necessary. The composition would be in regular form. The commissioners shall serve until December 2025, at which point the PSAC shall be disbanded after submitting a report.
Attached to this testimony is proposed sample language for the committee to review, use, and incorporate into House Bill 5001, if needed.
As it relates to the Board of Regents Representation Bill, House Bill 5738, Representative Paris, knows I’ve been extremely passionate about this issue since our time serving in Western’s Student Government Association together - over a decade ago.
Students deserve their say to be restored on their governing board. Under Governor Rell, students had twenty-three (23%) representation on the Board of Trustees; after Governor Malloy’s reorganization, students had their voice cut to thirteen (13%) - while tuition continues to rise, and unfunded mandates continue to be passed along to our universities and colleges.
The concept of this bill is simple - Restore the Representation - add two (2) more student members to the Board of Regents, bringing their representation to four (4) members. I have attached a historical one-pager, which outlines what would be ideal.
Historically speaking, previously this committee voted out the “student representation bill” by an overwhelming margin (16-6), with a broad bipartisan coalition in support and on the bill as co-sponsors - it passed in the Senate. The UConn representation bill passed this committee, and passed the House - but like most bills, they were a victim to the clock - sine die!
I encourage the committee to pass SB741, HB5738, and HB6355 as stand-alone bills or incorporate them into any future aircraft carrier - Helping to bring parity to and for students! I am prepared to answer any questions which members may have. Thank you.
Written Testimony on Senate Bill 741: An Act Concerning The Postsecondary Education Outcomes for Students with Disabilities
Chairs Slap and Haddad, Ranking Members Kelly and Haines, Members of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee:
My name is John Board a graduate of the CSCU system and a former member of the Student Advisory of the Board of Regents. I am here today to testify in favor of Senate Bill 741: An Act Concerning the Postsecretary Education Outcomes for Students with Disabilities.
I want to first thank Senators Winfield and Marx for recognizing the importance of ensuring funding for students with disabilities and sponsoring this important piece of legislation. In addition, I want to thank Representative Oritiz of Colorado — who has been a friend and continued partner in ensuring that we continue to bring disability issues to the forefront of public policy discussions.
Currently, Connecticut does not have holistic statewide data to examine the postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities, and the lack of information prevents Connecticut from connecting students with disabilities to the workforce. Therefore, in order to meet the economic demands of Connecticut, it is essential to collect this data and examine the postsecondary services, supports, and accommodations necessary for students with disabilities to improve postsecondary education and career outcomes and identify appropriation opportunities.
Beginning in 2025, and each successive year the Department of Higher Education will gather available data in five key areas/metrics, broken down by: institution, race, ethnicity, first-generation status, federal pell grant eligibility, and military status. These metrics are: (a) Enrollment headcount of disabled students at institutions, (b) Enrollment of students with a disability who receives service, support, or accommodation from the institution of higher education that is related to the student’s disability, (c) the number of students with a disability who continued enrollment in an institution of higher education in a subsequent academic year, (d) the number of students with a disability who graduated from an institution of higher education, (e) The number of students with a disability who receives a service or support from the vocation rehabilitation division of the Department of Labor at the institution of higher education that is related to the student’s disability.
This bill also creates a seventeen-member Post-Secondary Advisory Committee (PSAC) to make recomendations to institutions of higher education, the general assembly, and additional bodies that the PSAC would deem necessary. The composition would be in regular form.
The PSAC would examine the following issues: (a) Postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities including mitigating factors, (b) The ability of institutions of higher education to implement services and best practices that exceed the minimum of federal and state laws for students with disabilities, (c) The availability of financial assistance for students with disabilities, (d) Appropriations requests to assist both accessibility services offices and students with disabilities to have the opportunity to thrive and have success and, (e) Any other such issue of cognizance that the committee deems necessary.
The Commissioners shall serve until December 2025, at which point the PSAC shall be disbanded after submitting a report.
Attached to this testimony is proposed sample language for the committee to review, use, and incorporate into House Bill 5001, if needed.
I am prepared to answer any questions which members of the committee may have.
Thank you.
DRAFT Legislation:
General Assembly
January Session, 2023
LCO №2277
Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT
Introduced by:
SEN. WINFIELD, 10th Dist.
AN ACT CONCERNING THE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in the General Assembly convened:
SECTION 1. (1) That the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut finds that: (a) according to a 2011 longitudinal study funded by the United States Department of Education, national completion rates for students with disabilities in postsecondary education was thirty-eight percent compared to fifty-one percent for students without a reported disability; (b) students who receive appropriate disability support services and accommodations experience better academic outcomes that support post-graduate employment; (c) To ensure the economic vitality of Connecticut, every industry needs access to a skilled workforce, and every Nutmegger needs access to sustainable employment; (d) The statewide implementation of universal and inclusive services, supports, and accommodations for students with disabilities can greatly improve cost efficiencies for institutions of higher education, improve access and successful outcomes for all students, and sustain the workforce and economic vitality of Connecticut; (e) Students with disabilities must be recognized for who they are and supported to address their needs most effectively; and (f) Connecticut does not have statewide data to examine the postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities, and the lack of information prevents Connectiut from connecting students with disabilities to the workforce. (2) Therefore, the General Assembly declares that in order to meet the economic demands of Connecticut, it is essential to collect significant data and examine the postsecondary services, supports, and accommodations necessary for students with disabilities to improve postsecondary education and career outcomes.
SECTION 2. The Connecticut General Statues (chapter 185, section 10a-54) shall be amended as follows:
Definitions — (1) “Department” means the Connecticut Office of Higher Education; (2) “Disability” has the same meaning as set forth in the federal “Americans with Disability Act of 1990”, 42 U.S.C. Section 12101, and its related amendments and implementing regulations. (3) “Institution of Higher Education” means a state institution of higher education, as defined by statute (CSCU System & UConn), a participating private institution of higher education or a technical college.
SECTION 3. (1) Beginning in 2025, and every year after the department shall provide the following available data, gathered by the department in collaboration with institutions of higher education: (a) the number of students enrolled at an institution of higher education who identify as having a disability, reported for the state as a whole and for each institution of higher education, in total and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, first-generation status, federal pell grant eligibility, and military status (b) the number of students with a disability who receive a service, support or accommodation from the institution of higher education that is related to the student’s disability, reported for the state as a whole and for each institution of higher education, in total and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, first-generation status, federal pell grant eligibility, and military status; (c) the number of students with a disability who continued enrollement in an institution of higher education in a subsequent academic year, reported for the state as a whole and for each institution of higher education, in total and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, first-generation status, federal pell grant eligibility, and military status; (d) the number of students with a disability who graduated from an institution of higher education, reported for the state as a whole and for each institution of higher education, in total and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, first-generation status, federal pell grant eligibility, and military status; (e) The number of students with a disability who receives a service or support from the vocation rehabilitation division of the Department of Labor at the institution of higher education that is related to the student’s disability, reported for the state as a whole and for each institution of higher education, in total and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, first-generation status, federal pell grant eligibility, and military status.
Section 4. (1) There is created within the department, the postsecondary services advisory committee, referred to in this section as the “committee” for purpose of making recommendations to: (a) institutions of higher education, (b) the General Assembly, © any additional bodies the chair and committee find necessary concerning necessary services and best practices to improve successful outcomes for students with disabilities at institutions of higher education. (2) The Committee shall consist of seventeen members appointed by:
(3) The appointing authorities shall, to the extent practicable, appoint to the committee members who identify as having a disability. (4) the appointing authorities shall make their initial appointments to the committee no later than September 30, 2023. (5) Each member of the committee who is appointed pursuant to subsection three (3) of this section serves at the pleasure of the Governor. The term of appointment is until December 31, 2025. The members of the committee shall serve without compensation and without reimbursement for expenses. Staffing for the committee shall come from the committee of cognizance.
Section 5. The Committee shall examine the following issues, including but not limited to: (a) Postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities including mitigating factors, (b) The ability of institutions of higher education to implement services and best practices that exceed the minimum of federal and state laws for students with disabilities, © The availability of financial assistance for students with disabilities, (d) Appropriations requests to assist both accessibility services offices and students with disabilities to have the opportunity to thrive and have success and, (e) any other such issue of cognizance that the committee deems necessary.
Section 6. On or before December 31, 2025, the committee shall complete and submit a report to: (a) The Governor’s Office, (b) the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, (c) The Appropriations Committee, and (d) the Labor and Public Employees Committee. The report must include: (a) A description of the committee’s finding pursuant to section five (5); and (b) Recommendations for resources, statutory changes, departmental policy changes, or institution of higher education policy changes that are necessary to improve successful outcomes for students with disabilities at institutions of higher education.
Section 7. Sections four, five, and six (4,5, and 6) are repealed, effective January 1, 2026.
Statement of Purpose: To establish a postsecondary services advisory committee for the purpose of improving outcomes for students with disabilities and other purposes.
Written Testimony on House Bill 5738: An Act Concerning Student Representation on the Connecticut Board of Regents
Chairs Slap, Haddad, Ranking Members Haines, and Kelly, esteemed members of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee:
My name is John Board, a graduate of the CSCU system and a former member of the Student Advisory Committee of the Board of Regents. I am here today to testify in favor of House Bill 5738: An Act Concerning Student Representation on the Board of Regents for Higher Education (and the companion bill House Bill 6355).
As Representative Paris, knows I’ve been extremely passionate about this issue since our time serving in Western’s Student Government Association together — over a decade ago.
Students deserve their say to be restored on their governing board. Under Governor Rell, students had twenty-three (23%) representation on the Board of Trustees; after the
Governor Malloy’s reorganization, students had their voice cut to thirteen (13%) — while tuition continues to rise, and unfunded mandates continue to be passed along to our universities and colleges.
The concept of this bill is simple — Restore the Representation — add two (2) more student members to the Board of Regents, bringing their representation to four (4) members. I have attached a historical one-pager, which outlines what would be ideal.
Reorganizing the Board to better reflect whom it represents is the right thing to do. Over the last nine years, I’ve served as an advocate for our CSCU system. I’ve met with many of you, institutional leaders, and students. In order for fundamental change to occur in our system, we have to change whom we as a State send to our board and commissions.
Historically speaking, previously this committee voted out the “student representation bill” by an overwhelming margin (16–6), with a broad bipartisan coalition in support and on the bill as co-sponsors — it passed in the Senate. The UConn representation bill passed this committee, and passed House — but like most bills, they were a victim to the clock — sine die!
Hopefully, the committee will pass House Bill 5738 and House Bill 6355 as stand-alone bills or will incorporate them into any future aircraft carrier. Helping to bring parity to and for students! I am prepared to answer any questions which members may have. Thank you.
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